Ag Policy Blog

The House Agriculture Committee held a hearing on Tuesday addressing statements by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. about crop protection tools as well as legislation that could ease the development of new tools to protect crops from disease and...

Julie Callahan is currently the assistant trade representative for agricultural affairs and commodity policy and a longtime civil servant. Agricultural groups offered a lot of immediate support for President Trump nominating her to the chief agricultural negotiator.

President Donald Trump claims Coca-Cola will use cane sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup. Coca-Cola hints at innovation while the Corn Refiners Association warns of job losses, a decline in the price of corn and no real nutritional benefits.

In a House Agriculture Subcommittee hearing on Tuesday, state and federal veterinarians talked about some of the risks from highly pathogenic avian influenza and the New World Screwworm.

The budget reconciliation bill includes a provision that will allow USDA to add 30 million acres of new base acres to farm programs. Under the changes, farmers who have planted commodity crops from 2019-2023 will get a chance to add acres to farm program base if they meet the...

The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee passed its $21.7 billion discretionary budget for USDA for FY 2026. Senators had discussions about Food for Peace, hemp and overall funding issues with USDA and FDA.

USDA published a final rule Thursday in the Federal Register announcing the end of preferences for race or gender. The rule is effective immediately.

At a news conference on Tuesday, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said there will be no legal amnesty for undocumented farmworkers. Instead, Rollins suggested unemployed people on Medicaid could fill those jobs that can't be done by automation.

The New York Times on Monday spotlighted how Kansas farmers came up with the idea for Food for Peace. The Iowa Capital Dispatch last week also reported on plans to scrap USDA's Climate Hubs. The House appropriations bill zeros out the funding for USDA's 11 climate hubs.

President Donald Trump spoke for more than an hour before a crowd of thousands as he highlighted a historic win with the passage of the legislation and he dismissed criticisms from Democrats and others who oppose the bill and his administration's policies. He recounted his...

After years of facing a declining safety net under the 2018 farm bill, the 2025 budget reconciliation package boosts spending for farm programs. The bill also includes a mix of tax provisions that farmers and other small businesses can use to invest in equipment, pass on their...

Farm organizations had varying levels of praise supporting the Senate vote and calling for the House to follow suit. Groups highlighted some of the tax provisions and improvements to the farmer safety net. Other groups criticized the cuts to Medicaid and food programs.

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, proposed an amendment to the budget reconciliation bill that would require more management or labor to qualify for farm programs. Nearly 50 farm groups representing most major commodities and the American Farm Bureau Federation and the...

The Senate is pushing to pass its budget-reconciliation bill and get it to President Trump's desk by July 4. The legislation is projected to add $3.3 trillion to the national debt over 10 years. Biofuel groups highlighted the bill makes some positive changes to the 45Z Clean Fuels...

The Senate held a prolonged procedural vote late Saturday evening that eventually ended 51-49 to advance the bill. The legislation is projected to add $3.3 trillion to the national debt over ten years. Biofuel groups also highlighted the bill makes some positive changes to the 45Z...

In a post on Truth Social, President Donald Trump said the U.S. was ending trade talks with Canada. He pointed to issues with dairy tariffs, but his main issue was the tax on digital services. Trump stated in his post that the U.S. government will inform Canada of its new tariffs...

Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., explained to DTN in an interview that she remains optimistic a bill can get through Congress even if leaders in key House committees continue to be roadblocks. But after the House passed legislation twice since 2019, the Senate will need to take a lead...

The bill is directed heavily at land ownership from Chinese companies, as well as countries such as Iran, North Korea and Russia. USDA shows Chinese companies reported owning 277,336 acres of land as of Dec. 23, 2023. The bill also permanently puts the Agriculture secretary on a...

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said the 2001 "Roadless Rule" prohibits the Forest Service from responsibly thinning and maintaining the nation's forests. Speaking to the Western Governors Association, Rollins said the rule is misguided and creates more risk of fires as well...

Shifting a percentage of SNAP spending to states was a major move under the budget reconciliation plan. Those cost savings were expected to help offset more than $67 billion in proposed spending for commodity programs and crop insurance expansion in the budget reconciliation...